313 Ecuadorian Food

Jose talks about some common dishes in his country.

Jose: Yes, I was saying that the Andes is where potatoes and corn and many other kinds of food come, I mean, potatoes for example, that was so important for Europe, during the famine in Europe, so in that sense..

Todd: Wait, potatoes come from Ecuador?

Jose: Of course!

Todd: They do!

Jose: Yes, we have more than 300 different kinds of potatoes.

Todd: No kidding! Wow!

Jose: Yes, yes, yes! Potatoes and also corn from the Andes

Todd: Wow!

Jose: Yes. Didn't you know?

Todd: No, no! That's embarrassing.

Jose: And do you know, of course for us, potatoes and corn and also rice. It's one of the main dishes, I think, or pork also, and we use lots of pecante sauce, chili sauce. Ah, corn is great. Corn with fresh cheese.

Todd: Corn with cheese?

Jose: Yes, yes, yes, yes!

Todd: How do you make it?

Jose: Just you take the corn when it's fresh and boil it and you just put it with out anything, no salt, no butter, no anything, and fresh cheese.

Todd: No kidding, so you melt the cheese on the corn?

Jose: No, no, no, no!

Todd: So the cheese is hard?

Jose: It is fresh cheese.

Todd: Oh, I don't understand.

Jose: Fresh cheese! Do you, you have different kinds of cheese. (Yeah) You have this kind of fresh cheese. You have basically no salt, and it just made. Usually the cheese you have to mature the cheese.

Todd: Oh, I got you! So it's more liquid?

Jose: No, no, it's just called fresh cheese.

Todd: OK, well, I have to try it.

Jose: Yes, of course.

Todd: Wow! That sounds good. And can you get Japanese food in Ecuador?

Jose: Yeah, it's very expensive. You can do it because of course we have the Pacific coast, we have very good, what can I say, fish, and actually Japanese fisherman, they go to the Galapagos area and they pay certain fees. I don't know when, what they pay, and they catch all the tuna they want, so we have good, very good tuna, yeah, and many different kinds of fish so you can have sashimi and sushi and in Quito you have maybe two or three different Japanese restaurants. All of them very upscale at least.

A 'famine' is when there is little or no food for a
population. A famine can happen when there is a problem
growing or producing food or when a group of people can't
receive available food for some reason.

Notice the following:

This famine has caused quite a crisis.

The famine caused many people to lose their lives.

mature

You have to mature the cheese.

When you 'mature' something like wine or cheese you let it
sit for a period of time so that it tastes better. We can
use this also to talk about fruit that becomes ready to eat.
A person is mature when they act in a way that is typical of
someone older.

Notice the following:

She is very sensible and mature for her age.

These strawberries are not mature enough to pick yet.

No kidding

No kidding! Wow!

'No kidding' is a phrase used to show that you are
surprised or you can't believe what you have just found out.

Notice the following:

No kidding! I have won the lottery!

You just bought a new car? No kidding!

embarrass

No, no! That's embarrassing.

We feel 'embarrassed' when we do something foolish or make
a mistake. Sometimes when you are embarrassed your face
becomes red and hot. Something that makes us feel
embarrassed is 'embarrassing.'

Notice the following:

I can't believe I dropped my plate. I am so embarrassed.

It is embarrassing that I forgot his birthday two years
in a row.

upscale

In Quito you have maybe two or three different Japanese
restaurants. All of them very upscale at least.

An 'upscale' restaurant is of a higher class and usually
quite expensive.